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Believe in the power of matcha, like Manisha Koirala

If you are passionate about tea, you must have by now heard of or even sampled matcha green tea. Matcha is steadily progressing towards attaining a cult status in the world of wellness, thanks to its myriad benefits. If you haven't brewed the tea yet, you could perhaps be familiar with its taste in ice creams, puddings or even smoothies. Every boutique tea shop in metros is bound to stock this green wonder - in fact, experts say that the greener the matcha, the better it is.

To put it simply, matcha is finely ground green tea, but believed to be a more potent concoction than our ordinary green tea varieties. If we trace its origins, it dates back to ancient Japan. In fact, it is believed that samurai warriors would drink this powdered green tea before going to fights because this drink would raise their energy levels by several notches. Back home, here and now, matcha has a great following among celebs. Take Manisha Koirala who had blogged about the benefits of matcha green tea. If you visit her social media pages, tea gets featured quite prominently in her daily routine.

So, why is everyone screaming matcha, matcha, matcha these days? To begin with, the caffeine-anti-oxidant combo in the green tea is a veritable power booster. Matcha’s anti-oxidant properties are feted everywhere. Research shows that it contains one of the most potent catechins (basically antioxidant flavonoids). And how do those benefit us? Among other things, studies show that catechins are hugely beneficial for dealing with heart problems. Another benefit of drinking matcha green tea is that it makes you feel great. Studies have shown that green tea can have a positive effect on mood and cognition. On top of everything it’s believed to be a nutritional powerhouse. It’s yet to be proved if drinking matcha green tea can lead to actual weight loss.

But don’t overdo matcha, experts caution. Consuming too much of the anti-oxidant rich matcha green tea can lead to liver damage, among other things. Precise studies on ill effects of matcha are yet to surface though. Just a teaspoon and a half of matcha every day can perhaps keep the doctors away.